Mechanics do miss some things, but dealer says they'll stand behind certified program

Megan Dietrich was thrilled to get her Nissan Sentra. It was two years old, but Nissan-trained mechanics did a 150-point check to verify it was in good shape, which gave it Nissan's approval as a certified used car.

"Like it was almost brand new," said Dietrich, of New Castle. "And that's what I was told -- if you're having any issues, call us and everything will be taken care of. It's just like you're buying a brand new vehicle."

About a month after buying the car, Dietrich said she was on her way to the grocery store, "and driving down the interstate, and it just shut off. And the next thing. this tractor-trailer way lays on the horn. I'm basically stopped in the road. I was scared to death."

She took it to the Nissan dealer, but they could not find a problem. Yet, the car kept shutting down -- more than two dozen times in the past year, including a few scary moments when her infant son was in the back seat.

And that's not the only problem. "The roof leaks, the floor leaks, the gas gauge is messed up," Dietrich said.

She and her husband sued Nissan earlier this year, saying the company did not stand behind the warranty that came with the certified label.

"If it starts shutting off after less than a month, how hard was it looked over?" Van Osdol asked.

"Not very," said Megan Dietrich's attorney, Christina Gill Roseman.

In court papers, Nissan denies the allegations. The company declined to comment to WTAE Channel 4 Action News, citing the pending litigation.

Nearly 2 million people -- a record number -- will buy certified used cars this year. Manufacturers and car dealers say it's evidence that the program is working. Still, a local dealer told Van Osdol that the certified label does not necessarily mean the car will be trouble-free.

"Every used vehicle is going to have some little sin here or there, no matter what we do," said Bob Baierl, senior vice president at the Baierl Automotive Group.

Jodi Poneiwaz, of Shaler, traded her old van to Baierl Honda after trying in vain to fix a chronic leak. She said, "It smelled like they had pulled the car out of the river. It smelled so bad you couldn't leave anything in the car overnight."

After trading in her leaky van, Poneiwaz was shocked to find it listed as a Toyota-certified used car: "I was just completely stunned that they would do that."

Baierl, whose Toyota dealership sold Poneiwaz's van, said his mechanics did not detect the leak before selling it.

"Does it concern you that your people went through this 160-point inspection process and weren't able to find this leak?" Van Osdol asked.

"Not entirely," Baierl said, pointing out that at least three other mechanics failed to find the leak.

Baierl said they did eventually find and fix the leak for the buyer, and that shows the value of the certified program: "From our dealership standpoint, no matter what was wrong with the vehicle, we were going to stand behind it."

Dietrich's attorney, who handles Lemon Law cases, says that's not always the case: "I've seen other manufacturers with the paper that says it's certified pre-owned, but not much behind it."

Bill Visnic, of Edmunds.com, says manufacturers generally have an incentive to stand behind their certified program: "It doesn't always mean that you've gotten the best vehicle just because it's certified pre-owned, but at least it is that degree of extra insurance for the buyer.

Here are a few things you can do if you're thinking about a certified used car:

- Ask for the Carfax report and check for any significant repair history.- Make sure the manufacturer is actually who's certifying the car, not a dealer or third party.- Take the car to a trusted independent mechanic to check it out.

And, be prepared to pay a little extra for that certified label. Certified used cars cost anywhere from $500 to $1,500 more than other used cars, depending on the vehicle.